<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Meaning of a Favor by Elf (Elfwreck)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27194329">The Meaning of a Favor</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfwreck/pseuds/Elf'>Elf (Elfwreck)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Leverage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Parker (Leverage), Basically All Dialogue, Favors, Gen, Phone Calls, Season/Series 05 Spoilers, Spook Me Multi-Fandom Halloween Ficathon, Vaccines, background Alec Hardison, not a heist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-08 19:29:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>633</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27194329</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elfwreck/pseuds/Elf</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot lost the game, so he has to make the call to Sterling.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Spook Me Ficathon 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Meaning of a Favor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was for the prompt "Disease." It's only barely related to that. And it's not scary or spooky at all.  Sorry, spook_me fans. Inspiration pic was <a href="https://images12.fotki.com/v1667/photos/6/3814576/16181654/ralyellowfever03_jpg1586093375-vi.jpg">this one</a> and I had IDEAS, SO MANY IDEAS but no time to write those.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After three rounds of rock-paper-scissors, Eliot was stuck with the job. (Dammit, Hardison had a <em>tell</em>. Why didn't he see it this time?) He scowled at his friends and grabbed the phone.</p><p>"Sterling," the voice rang out. "Who the hell is this and why don't I recognize your number?" </p><p>"It's always <em>so</em> nice to hear your voice, Sterling," Eliot said.</p><p>"Spencer. To what do I owe the displeasure?" </p><p>Eliot rolled his eyes. "We want a favor."</p><p>"And by <em>we</em>, you mean…?"</p><p>"Me, Parker, Hardison."</p><p>"Ah. No more Nate? Sophie?" </p><p>"They left. Got married, maybe." </p><p>"So is she now going by Sophie Ford?" </p><p>"Hell if I know. Since she wasn't actually <em>Sophie</em> in the first place, I don't know why it matters if she adds <em>Ford</em> to the end of that."</p><p>"Look, it's been charming, but I have work to do--"</p><p>"Like I said, I called to ask for a favor." </p><p>"A favor."</p><p>"Did I stutter?" </p><p>"I could just hang up on you."</p><p>"Yeah, but you won't, because you wanna know what we're calling about."</p><p>"Why would I care what you're calling about?"</p><p>"Because we're <em>interesting</em>, and most of your job is <em>boring</em>, and most of your <em>criminals</em> are boring, and face it, this is the most fun you've had all month, because your fucking <em>life</em> is boring." </p><p>Eliot could feel Sterling's scowl over the phone.</p><p>"What do you want?"</p><p>"First, we get to discuss the meaning of <em>a favor</em>."</p><p>"I know what a favor is, Eliot."</p><p>"I don't think you do. I think <em>you</em> think a favor is some kind of currency, some kind of twisted IOU that means someone owes you something in the future." </p><p>"So… you want me to do you a favor without getting anything back."</p><p>"That's what a favor <em>is</em>." Eliot mouthed "<em>you asshole</em>" so Parker and Hardison could see him. Hardison smiled, and Parker covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. </p><p>Sterling sighed. "Why would I do a <em>favor</em> for you without any kind of return?" </p><p>"Because there's kids' lives on the line." </p><p>"Alright, you have my attention," he grumbled. "I'll bite: What can I, an Interpol investigator of white collar crimes and art fraud, do to help save childrens' lives?" </p><p>"You can start investigating the Meritraxon Pharmaceutical Corporation that just opened an office in Seattle. They're holding up the shipments of flu vaccine to half the state."</p><p>"Can't you steal some vaccines?" </p><p>"You don't <em>steal vaccines</em>, you heartless fucking goon. Someone else <em>needs</em> them." </p><p>"Fine, fine. I forgot that I'm dealing with the one criminal conspiracy gang with a conscience. But don't you have some pet FBI agents to lean on for that kind of thing?"</p><p>"Meritraxon is a Belgian company with a German board of directors and its main offices in Ireland, but it does its banking in China. Hardison's still trying to chase down the whole rat's nest of connections. We can get them figured out, but not fast enough to get those vaccines into clinics this week." </p><p>"And why do you think an Interpol investigation would make a difference?" </p><p>"Because we know they'll stop stalling and skip town if they get any real heat. They're worried but waiting for a deal to come through. We need them to jump before it does."</p><p>"How do you know-- wait, don't tell me; I don't want to know. So: you're asking me to investigate Meritraxon, right now today, in order to--" he sighed, and Eliot could almost see him rolling his eyes-- "<em>save children's lives</em>, by making sure they get their flu shots on time." </p><p>"Wow, you're a real smart dude when you stop trying to be an asshole." </p><p>"I never <em>try</em> to be an asshole; I <em>am</em> an asshole. You owe me for this."</p><p>"Dude, that is <em>not how favors work</em>." </p><p>Sterling hung up on him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>If any part of this inspires an actual Leverage writer (...I hear they sometimes they visit AO3), I will be (1) thrilled beyond belief, and (2) NOT SUING; feel free to play with these ideas and steal the whole scene if you want.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>